


How Thor Finds Out

by BucksomeBarnes (Freckled_Halos)



Series: the Assembled Avengers Initiative [2]
Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Coming Out, Domestic, Friendship, Happy Ending, M/M, Slice of Life
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-06-17
Updated: 2018-06-17
Packaged: 2019-05-24 15:58:40
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,669
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14957666
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Freckled_Halos/pseuds/BucksomeBarnes
Summary: Steve thinks everyone is probably onto him and Bucky by now, but he wants to confirm it with those he's closest to.





	How Thor Finds Out

Steve was beginning to think the team may all be onto him and Bucky. He wasn’t ashamed about it, he was just never sure how to broach the subject. Immediately after Steve found out Bucky was alive, he completely spilled his guts to both Sam and Natasha. So many years of so many strong emotions was too much for him to process on his own. He had started at grade school and told them everything, all the way up to watching his best friend and all-time love fall to his death as Steve just helplessly watched on. They, unsurprisingly, were nothing but sympathetic and supportive, giving Steve what small words of comfort they had, helping him work through an impossible situation.

He hadn’t outright told anybody else, though. He knew none of them would feel any differently towards him, but there was still that flip of his stomach whenever Steve thought about talking about it. Bucky was much more open. He hadn’t said anything blatant, for respect of Steve’s feelings, but Steve could tell he didn’t grapple with it in the same way. Bucky had always been sure of himself. His confidence was something that Steve had admired since they were kids and it was one of the many things Steve was relieved to see was still in him, even after all those years as the Winter Soldier.

On this particular night, rain slowly pattered against the massive glass walls of the Avengers facility, thunder clapping and lightening flashing, illuminating the evening sky.

Thor, Steve, Natasha, and Sam were lounging in the plush common room. Thor was sprawled out on an arm chair, deep into a worn copy of _Pride and Prejudice_ , absentmindedly stroking his beard with his free hand. Natasha and Sam were sitting across from each other on the floor in a heated rummy tournament, of which Nat was obviously winning. Steve was reclined on the couch, a knee up to support his sketchbook as he detailed a portrait of Pepper he was finishing for Tony.

“Hah!” Sam yelled, slamming down his hand of cards. “Take that, _Widow_.”

Natasha smiled out of the side of her mouth and raised her hands in surrender. “You got me, Wilson. Finally, after…how many games have we played?”

He playfully threw a card at her, scoffing. “Whatever. I still won.”

Steve smiled at them when Bucky came padding quietly into the room.

“Good evening, Bucky,” Thor said cheerily, setting down his book.

“Hey,” he replied, walking to the back of the couch, setting his hands on Steve’s shoulders and gently massaging them. “You almost ready for bed?”

“Yeah,” Steve answered, checking out of the corner of his eye to see what Thor made of the question. “Just give me a minute.”

Giving his shoulders a few more rubs, Bucky responded, “alright. Just don’t be too long.”

Natasha watched as Bucky walked away before she turned to Steve, whose eyebrows were furrowed the way they were when he had something to say, but wouldn’t say it. 

“Come on, Sam,” she said, standing up and reaching a hand down. “Let’s go celebrate your incredible win with a stiff drink.”

Sam took her hand and she pulled him up as he snorted. “I’m going to just ignore everything you said before ‘stiff drink.’”

“’Night, guys,” she quipped, bounding silently towards the separate bar and lounge room Tony insisted they needed.

“Goodnight, Natasha, Sam,” Thor called, smiling. He looked to Steve who was stalling, hesitantly packing up his pencils. “Are you alright, Steve?”

“Yeah, yeah, I uh…” His mouth was suddenly filled with cotton and he rubbed sweaty palms on his sweatpants before finally looking at Thor’s face.

He was looking back, not at all convinced everything was alright.

“Listen,” Steve started, a little too loudly. “You remember what you said the other day? At the zoo?”*

Thor shifted in his chair, clasping his hands together on a knee. “Yes.”

“I, um…I consider you a really good friend, Thor—”

“And I you.”

Steve cleared his throat and forced himself to keep looking at Thor’s face. “And what you said, about being there to listen if I ever had anything to talk about was really nice and…” His heart was beating a mile a minute. Why was this so nerve-wracking?

Thor was staring intently at Steve, giving him a small, encouraging grin.

“I think you sort of know what I’m trying to say,” Steve finally blurted, which felt like a bit of a cop-out, but it was the best he could get out.  

Smiling wider, Thor leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees, chin falling into open palms. Eyes glittering he said, “you and Bucky Barnes are in love.”

It was so simple. Such a small statement, but it made Steve’s face flush, heartrate soar, and stomach flip.

Swallowing hard, Steve tried to say _Yes! Yes we are! And have been for so many years. Nobody understands me like him. Nobody has ever loved me like him. Nobody will ever compare to him_. Instead, he nodded and peeped out a “yeah, I guess you could say that.”   

Slapping his thighs, Thor sprung up out of the chair, holding his arms out. On wobbly legs, Steve rose and leaned in for the hug. Thor squeezed him with such force, Steve’s breath caught in his throat, but the embrace was warm and sincere. In the next seconds that passed, all of Steve’s anxiety melted away. He could relax just a little bit more now that he didn’t have to spend the energy hiding anything from one more person.

“Thank you for telling me, Steve. You two have so much history and deserve so much love.”

Steve shakily smiled. “Thank you, Thor. For everything.”

Slapping Steve’s shoulders a few times, Thor let out a loud sigh. “Well, my friend, I won’t hold you any longer. Your lover is waiting for you!” Steve balked at the comment and Thor laughed heartily. “Your secret is safe with me, Steve. Do not worry, it is not my story to tell.”

Swiping up his book, he thundered away, giving Steve a wink on his way towards the staircase.

After gathering his art supplies, Steve walked into the hallway, passing the lounge where Natasha and Sam were sitting at the bar top, sipping on whiskeys. Nat raised her eyebrows at Steve, to which he smiled and nodded back. She returned the grin before turning back to Sam, taking a sip of her drink.

Steve took the elevator to the top floor of the building where his and Tony’s suites were situated. He stepped out of the silent silver doors and onto the dark wooden floors of the long corridor. He bounded to the end and turned right, placing his thumb on the fingerprint scanner above the knob of their door. It clicked open and Steve stepped into the foyer. The lights in the main part of the apartment were off, just a soft yellow glow emanated from the right hallway where the master bedroom was. The slow, scratchy melodies of a Glenn Miller record drifted down the hall. Steve set his sketchbook and pencils down on the kitchen island before wandering towards the music.

Bucky was puttering around the bedroom, his hair pulled into a messy bun, humming along in black basketball shorts and one of Steve’s worn t-shirts.

Steve leaned in the doorway, crossing his arms, and watched for a few peaceful moments. Steve knew it was impossible to sneak up on Bucky, but Bucky didn’t acknowledge him right away, happily letting Steve’s eyes slide around his broad torso and thick arms.

“Hey, sugar,” Steve finally drawled out.

“Oh, hey, doll,” Bucky replied, feigning surprise.

He sauntered to the doorway and slipped his arms around Steve’s waist. Before he could say anything, Steve grasped his face and pulled him in, kissing him long and slow, sucking on Bucky’s bottom lip.

Taking a long breath in, Bucky pulled away to kiss along Steve’s neck. He ran his hands up and down Steve’s stomach and chest underneath his light blue Henley, flesh and metal caressing warm, soft skin.

Steve closed his eyes, relishing in the feeling before finally murmuring, “Thor knows.”

Giving Steve’s ear one last graze of his teeth, Bucky pulled away to look Steve in the eye. “Did you tell him?”

“I more just confirmed what he already knew.”

Bucky nodded, resting his hands on the small of Steve’s back. “And how do you feel about that?”

“Relieved.”

“I’m proud of you, Steve. I know how nervous it’s been making you. And how close you and him have gotten.”

Steve gently brushed the pad of his thumb across Bucky’s stubbled jaw and soft lips. “I love you, Buck. And I want to share that with the people I care about.”

Bucky smiled, kissing the palm of Steve’s hand. “I love you too. So much. And, selfishly, it’s getting harder and harder for me to hide it.”

Steve pulled a small smile. “I know.”

“Now that we live in a time where it’s so much more acceptable…I just never want to waste another minute acting like you’re not my everything.”

The look in Bucky’s eyes made Steve feel like he was seventeen again, in the seconds immediately after Steve told Bucky he loved him for the first time.

Not having any words to convey exactly how he was feeling, Steve leaned in, their foreheads meeting softly. They stood quietly together for a short time, Bucky peppering light kisses on Steve’s forehead, eyelids, nose, and cheeks. The grainy notes of _Moonlight Serenade_ filled the room as both of them ever so slightly swayed to the music.

“Now are you ready for bed?” Bucky murmured, sleepily.

In reply, Steve enveloped Bucky in a tight hug and smiled into his hair.

“Can we just…stay like this for a little while longer?”

Bucky lightly scratched along the length of Steve’s back, pressing impossibly closer before whispering, “Steve, I could stay like this forever.”

**Author's Note:**

> *Reference to the last piece in this series, "To be Happy"


End file.
